No significant rain fell for the third consecutive month in the winter breeding areas along both sides of the Red Sea during February. Consequently, unusually dry and unfavourable breeding conditions persisted in most areas.

The Desert Locust situation continued to remain calm during October. Seasonal rains ended in the summer breeding areas of the Sahel in West Africa and Sudan as well as along the Indo-Pakistan border. Consequently, vegetation was drying out and locust numbers were decreasing. Small-scale breeding continued in western Mauritania but locust numbers remained low. A second generation of breeding is thought to be underway in one area on the Red Sea coast in Eritrea where good rains have fallen since May.

From 1 January to 8 October 2017, 266,689 people fled their homes due to conflict in Afghanistan, up by 2,600 people from the previous week. The province sheltering the highest number of displaced people is Kunduz (29,759), followed by Nangarhar (27,959), Badghis (22,635) and Baghlan (18,788).

One in every 10 children has a disability. Armed conflict and disasters further increase disabilities among children. Within any crisis-affected community, children and adults with disabilities are among the most marginalized, yet they often are excluded from humanitarian assistance.

For at least 700 million children worldwide – and perhaps hundreds of millions more – childhood has ended too soon. The major reasons included poor health, confl ict, extreme violence, child marriage, early pregnancy, malnutrition, exclusion from education and child labor.

The latest newsletter from the ICRC delegation in Pakistan features a variety of articles, including updates on our work in the country, how we're promoting social inclusion for people with disabilities, and our work in Health Care in Danger.